The Ridge is primed for one of its biggest Easters yet with a feast of festivities organised to keep locals and visitors entertained during the holiday.
Kicking off the weekend will be the Great Goat Races with organisers hoping this year's event will be bigger and better than ever.
Committee president Glenn Blackwell said there would be three races with six goats in each, and the committee was looking for 18 children to be jockeys.
"The kids will need to register on Saturday morning before 8:30am," he said.
"They will need their parents' consent and of course they also need to bring a safety helmet."
Mr Blackwell there were 20 wild billy goats (brought in from Brewarrina and being kept on the grounds of the old tennis court) which would be used in the ladies and novice races.
He said the novice races would be held down the main street prior to the calcutta for the Australian Championship Goat Races.
"It is the first time we are running novice races, and we want to encourage the kids to get involved, regardless of whether they have done this before," he said.
"We want to attract greater tourism to the area, and we think by adding another few races, it is a good way to go about it."
He said the kids would be racing in new gigs, supplied by the committee.
"Kids who win or receive a place will receive prizes and trophies," he said.
Also on offer at thios year's event is the prestigious title of fastest goat in Australia and organisers are hoping for stiff competition in all event.
At the same time, preparations are under way for Saturday's horse races, with the feature to be the Jim and Betty Marshall Memorial over 1200 metres.
Mayor and race committee president Peter Waterford said the prize for the feature would include a black opal bracelet as well as prize money.
He said the afternoon would consist of a five-race program worth $24,500.
Mr Waterford said all the races would be memorial races, except for the Lightning Ridge Bowling Club maiden handicap.
"We've got the Hector and Molly Ridderford Memorial over 900 metres, the Tony Campbell Memorial, and the Bill Waterford Memorial," he said.
"It will be a great day with plenty of horses, and the race track is just on the edge of town."
"The jockeys will be coming from right throughout western NSW," he said.
Mr Waterford said following the horse races, there would be a major fireworks spectacular, of the same quality as what would be seen in Sydney, being administered by Rod McCracken.
"We're expecting a huge crowd, and we haven't been disappointed yet, with approximately 80 per cent of our spectators anticipated to be visitors," he said.
The festivities continue on Sunday with the Black Opal Rodeo.
President Aub Tribe said the rodeo would consist of 15 events, including bull, bronc and bareback rides, as well as a breakaway event, team roping and steer wrestling.
Mr Tribe said $1000 would be going to the winner in each of the open events, with $500 in each novice event.
He said there would also be $1000 going to the winner of the ladies barrel race, and $250 would be made available as prize money in the poddy ride.
"A lot of interest has been shown, we're expecting more than 180 competitors from across the state, southern Queensland and even some who are originally from Victoria."
Mr Tribe said while the traditional major event at rodeos was the open saddle bronc, it had always been the bull riding that was most popular among spectators.
He said this year the committee would use some of the stock previously used in national bull riding competitions.
"They're very good quality bulls, generally used for professional riding," he said.
Kevin Parkins is practising runs for the steer wrestling event.
"Kevin has been a fairly successful competitor in previous years and has obtained placings in the past," Mr Tribe said.
Meanwhile the spirit of Easter and its festivities is already being celebrated by staff at the Westpac Bank who have set up three separate displays in the bank for the goat and horse races, and rodeo.
Staff member Andrea Marsh-Babic, who initiated the displays, said they had set up a display each year for the Rodeo Business House Display competition, and had won it five times for the best depicted theme.
"In the past a few other businesses had also put up good displays," she said.
"But this year we're hoping to win it again."
Ms Marsh-Babic said last year the bank carried an Easter Bunny theme.
"We had our staff all dressed up in Easter Bunny costumes."
She said in the previous year they had done the chaps and vests concept and were all dressed up as bull riders.
"This year though, we thought we'd add the goat race display," she said.
Ms Marsh-Babic said all up it took the staff two days to put all the displays up.
She said the community had contributed parts of the contents in the displays.
"We had set it up just prior to the Rotary conference because we wanted to show visitors from the other towns what Lightning Ridge is all about, and what sort of celebrations we carry out," she said.
The display will be up until just after Easter.
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